On the up and up

Expectations of a pre-season Top-10 team were all but smashed; a heart-wrenching loss to archrival Texas sapped the life out of a famished fan base; a dignified, program-building coach, Mike Sherman, was abruptly fired.

How then could the Aggies hope to compete in the "Conference of Champions," the respected, revered and feared SEC?

Yet, through light and storm, A&M held its prize. One of the best recruiting classes in school history is within the University's grasp.

Only one answer was needed: Could a new coaching staff, heading into a new conference, hold it together?

The answer: a resounding yes.

New A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin wasted no time hitting the recruiting trail. His first visit was a no-brainer. Not coincidentally, it was Sherman's final trip before departing Aggieland.  

The prospect was, of course, Klein quarterback Matt Davis — the undeniable glue of the 2011 recruiting class and the leading founder of the now-famous "Aggswagg" movement.  Only through Davis could Sumlin hope to keep A&M's current assets, or most of them, under wraps. After all, it was the "Aggswagg" movement — a rally flag of sorts, bonding the members of the 2011 class — that provided A&M the recruiting momentum it needed to land some of Texas' top recruits.

Immediately after Sumlin landed Davis' approval, the charismatic coach took off. He not only kept most of Sherman's prospects on board, but also expanded upon what his predecessor built.  

As it stands, the Aggies have received four significant signed letters of intent: Gulf Coast C.C. defensive back Otis Jacobs, South Houston defensive back Kenneth Marshall, Trinity Valley C.C. wide receiver Derel Walker and the ringleader quarterback, Davis.  

The verbal commitment list is even more expansive.

According to the recruiting site Rivals.com, the Aggies currently hold verbal commitments from five four-star (out of five total stars) recruits: Missouri City wide receiver Bralon Addison, former Oklahoma commit/Mesquite defensive back DeVante Harris, sibling of Jake Mathews/Missouri City offensive lineman Mike Mathews, recent TCU decommit/Carthage athlete Edward Pope and Denton linebacker Jordan Richmond.

One five-star recruit also appears on the list. Spring running back Trey Williams — rated as the third best back in the nation by Rivals.com — would bring dynamic athleticism to the A&M backfield. As a senior, Williams rushed for a whopping 3,890 yards and 48 touchdowns in 427 attempts through 16 games.

Clearly, the class is not hurting for talent. A potential Top-10 class, this is an Aggie asset that Mike Sherman believed, as he stated in his farewell press conference, would shift the direction of the Aggie football program.

Of course, only time will tell if the Aggies' class finishes as highly as predicted. Only time will tell if this highly touted class pans out in the rugged SEC West.

Until then, we can at least make one justified observation. Things are certainly on the up and up for the future of Aggie football.